Persicaria

Contains 16 accepted taxa overall.

Characteristics
Persicaria Mill.
POLYGONACEAE
SMARTWEED
View USF Herbarium specimens of this family
Classification
CARYOPHYLLALES
Persicaria
Citation
PERSICARIA (Linnaeus) Miller, Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. 1754.
BASIONYM: Polygonum Linnaeus, sect. Persicaria Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 360. 1753.
TYPE: Persicaria maculosa Gray 1821. (Polygonum persicaria Linnaeus 1753.) Typified by Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 1: 665. 1913.
Distribution Map Present

This species have been reported in the counties highlighted.

Species
Scientific Name Common Name Herbarium Specimens Status Photos
Persicaria arifolia HALBERDLEAF TEARTHUMB Native OBL (NWPL)
Persicaria capitata PINKHEAD SMARTWEED Not Native FACU (NWPL)
Persicaria careyi CAREY'S KNOTWEED Not Native FACW (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria glabra DENSEFLOWER KNOTWEED Native OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria hirsuta HAIRY SMARTWEED Native OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria hydropiperoides MILD WATERPEPPER; SWAMP SMARTWEED Native OBL (NWPL) OD (WAP) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria lapathifolia CURLYTOP KNOTWEED; PALE SMARTWEED Native FACW (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria longiseta ORIENTAL LADY'S-THUMB Not Native FACW- (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria maculosa SPOTTED LADY'S-THUMB Not Native FACW (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria meisneriana var. beyrichiana BRANCHED TEARTHUMB; MEXICAN TEARTHUMB Native Rare-State OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria orientalis KISS-ME-OVER-THE-GARDEN-GATE; PRINCESS-FEATHER Not Native FAC (NWPL)
Persicaria pensylvanica PENNSYLVANIA SMARTWEED Native FACW (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria punctata DOTTED SMARTWEED Native OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria sagittata ARROWLEAF TEARTHUMB Native OBL (NWPL)
Persicaria setacea BOG SMARTWEED Native OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
Persicaria virginiana JUMPSEED Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Identification Key
1.  Stems with recurved prickles
2
1.  Stems without prickles
4
2.  Leaf blade broadly hastate, hastate-cordate, to triangular; tepals 4
P. arifolia
2.  Leaf blade linear-lanceolate to oblong; tepals 5
3
3.  Leaves subsessile to sessile, the blade base cordate, truncate, to cuneate; peduncle glandular-stipitate, at least distally
P. meisneriana var. beyrichiana
3.  Leaves petiolate (becoming subsessile distally), the blade base cordate to sagittate; peduncle eglandular
P. sagittata
4.  Styles exserted, persistent on achenes; inflorescences spikelike, interrupted
P. virginiana
4.  Styles included, rarely exserted, deciduous; inflorescences capitate, paniclelike, or spikelike, uninterrupted or interrupted
5
5.  Petiole winged, auriculate; inflorescence capitate
P. capitata
5.  Petiole not winged nor auriculate; inflorescence spiciform
6
6.  Ocrea eciliate or the cilia <0.5 mm long
7
6.  Ocrea ciliate with bristles 1-12 mm long
9
7.  Rhizomatous perennial; peduncles glabrous to sparsely setose below the flowers; achene biconvex
P. glabra
7.  Annual; peduncles usually stipitate-glandular; achene discoid or concave
8
8.  Inflorescence usually arching or nodding; tepals usually 4; outer tepals with prominent distally bifurcate anchor-shaped veins
P. lapathifolia
8.  Inflorescence usually erect; tepals usually 5; outer tepals without anchor-shaped veins
P. pensylvanica
9.  Upper stem and peduncles stipitate-glandular
P. careyi
9.  Upper stem and peduncles not stipitate-glandular
10
10.  Stem hirsute, at least near the inflorescence
11
10.  Stem glabrous to appressed pubescent
12
11.  Ocrea without a broad herbaceous flange; petiole 0.1-0.3 cm long; leaf blades linear-lanceolate
P. hirsuta
11.  Ocrea with a broad green-herbaceous flange; petiole 1-9 cm long; leaf blades broadly ovate
P. orientalis
12.  Tepals uniformly glandular-punctate
P. punctata
12.  Tepals not glandular, or rarely sparse on the base of inner tepals
13
13.  Annual; ocreolae of the inflorescence not overlapping, or only overlapping distally
14
13.  Rhizomatous perennial; ocreolae of the inflorescence overlapping
15
14.  Ocrea surface with stiff ascending-appressed hairs, the cilia at the apex 1-7 mm long; leaf blade 0.5-2 cm wide, the upper surface glabrous; tepals white, pink, to greenish
P. hydropiperoides
14.  Ocrea surface with flexuous spreading hairs, the cilia at the apex 5-15 mm long; leaf blades 1.5-4 cm wide, the upper surface puberulent when young; tepals white
P. setacea
15.  Inflorescence ocreolae (0.5)1-4(6) mm long, subequal to the tube
P. longiseta
15.  Inflorescence ocreolae 0.2-1.3(2) mm long, shorter than the tube
P. maculosa
Genus Synonyms
Synonym Full Citation Basionym Type
Ampelygonum Ampelygonum Lindley, Bot. Reg. 24(Misc.): 63. 1838. TYPE: Ampelygonum chinense (Linnaeus) Lindley 1838. (Polygonum chinense Linnaeus 1753.)
Antenoron Antenoron Rafinesque, Fl. Ludov. 28. 1817. TYPE: Antenoron racemosum Rafinesque 1817.
Cephalophilon Cephalophilon (Meisner) Spach, Hist. Nat. Veg. 10: 521. 1841. BASIONYM: Polygonum Linnaeus, sect. Cephalophilon Meisner, in Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 59. 1832. Non designatus.
Chulusium Chulusium Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 14. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Chulusium acuminatum Rafinesque 1837, nom. illegit. (Polygonum punctatum Elliott 1917.)
Chylocalyx Chylocalyx Hasskarl, Flora 25(2, Beibl.): 20. 1842. TYPE: Chylocalyx perfoliata (Linnaeus) Hasskarl 1842. (Polygonum perfoliatum Linnaeus 1759.)
Dioctis Dioctis Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 15. 1837 ("1836") TYPE: Non designatus.
Discolenta Discolenta Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 15. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Non designatus.
Echinocaulon Echinocaulon (Meisner) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 10: 521. 1841. BASIONYM: Polygonum Linnaeus, sect. Echinocaulon Meisner, in Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 58. 1832. Non designatus.
Goniaticum Goniaticum Stokes, Bot. Mater. Med. 2: 338. 1812. TYPE: Goniaticum solitaris Stokes 1812, nom. illegit. (Lagunea cochinchinensis Loureiro 1790.) Substitute name for Lagunea Loureiro 1790, non Laguna Cavanilles 1786.
Gononcus Gononcus Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 16. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Gononcus undulatus Rafinesque 1837.
Heptarina Heptarina Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 15. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Heptarina orientalis (Linnaeus) Rafinesque 1837. (Polygonum orientale Linnaeus 1753.)
Lagunea Lagunea Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 219, 220. 1970, non Cavanilles 1786. TYPE: Lagunea cochinchinensis Loureiro 1790. = Goniaticum Stokes 1812.
Mitesia Mitesia Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 15. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Non designatus.
Peutalis Peutalis Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 14. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: = Persicaria (Linnaeus) Miller 1754.
Pogalis Pogalis Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 15. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Non designatus.
Sunania Sunania Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 95. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Sunania filiformis (Thunberg) Rafinesque 1837. (Polygonum filiforme Thunberg 1784.)
Tovara Tovara Adanson, Fam. Pl. 2: 276, 612. 1763, nom. rej. vs. Tovaria Ruiz Lopez & Pavon 1794. TYPE: Tovara virginiana (Linnaeus) Rafinesque 1837. (Polygonum virginianum Linnaeus 1753.)
Tracaulon Tracaulon Rafinesque, Fl. Tellur. 3: 13. 1837 ("1836"). TYPE: Tracaulon arifolium (Linnaeus) Rafinesque 1837. (Polygonum arifolium Linnaeus 1753.)